Once upon a time, I thought freelance editing was going to be a great way to do some weekend work in my craft. I figured I’d make money and connections. I couldn’t lose.
Sometimes I’m hopelessly naive.
Recently, a reader and twitter friend asked me about freelance editing. Since he gave me permission to reprint our conversation publicly, I thought other readers might be interested.
I had a colleague of mine ask if I would be interested in editing her book (~270 pgs.). I am honored to be asked and thrilled that she thinks highly of my skills but when she asked what my fee would be I was at a loss. The last time I did any editing of substance was in college with research papers and the like.
How would I go about setting a fair fee for her as well as for my time?
I do a little bit of editing work on the side in special circumstances, but I learned some good lessons for people who are thinking of doing this. Here’s what I told that reader:
First, I wouldn’t agree to anything until you’ve seen the manuscript. Edit 10 pages for some fee to see if you’re happy and if the writer is happy. A good intro rate would be $20-$25 per hour. Experienced editors can charge more. (I charge $25 – $50 depending on the kind of editing I’m doing.)
Second, I give an estimate to the writer based on the manuscript. Too many online editors scam writers with an hourly rate. I typically try to overestimate the time it will take, then if I come in under the estimate, writers are very happy.
Third, remember to consider what kind of editing you will be doing. I edit 2-10 pages per hour, depending on the degree of editing the person is looking for. If it is just proofing, that goes much faster. So be sure to check what the person is expecting from you. Fixing typos and comma errors is proofing. Fixing sentence and paragraph structure is editing.
The prospective freelancer also wondered if there were better resources than Chicago Manual of Style and Stunk and White.
There may be, but those are the ones I use.
I’m curious though. What writing resources do YOU use?
{ 4 comments }
Thanks, Tanya. I'm glad it was helpful.
Great advice!
I like Strunk and White. I also have a handy reference called “Woe is I” that I love. It covers a lot of the same information, but in a more artistic format, great for visual people like me.
“What writing resources do YOU use?”
not enough of the human kind. i toil along by myself, convinced that i'll eventually discover the right way. there's certainly a time for this, but i would benefit from bringing in more resources.
“What writing resources do YOU use?”
not enough of the human kind. i toil along by myself, convinced that i'll eventually discover the right way. there's certainly a time for this, but i would benefit from bringing in more resources.
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